


ineffable limerence

by rippedjuns



Series: the tri-wizard tournament [2]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Cheolsoo are Canon, Fluff and Angst, I Mean What a Surprise, M/M, Minhyuk Tried, Whoops Did I Say Something, Yoon Jeonghan-centric, Yule Ball, tri-wizard tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15526059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rippedjuns/pseuds/rippedjuns
Summary: jeonghan wasn't necessarily one for nights out. he felt that if he skipped a night of studying for a short period of relaxation, he would fall back in his classes, and that wouldn't get him on the right side of his parents whatsoever.however, minhyuk had other ideas for his best friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> before you read this, please read chapter one of conquest! this series sits between chapter one and chapter two of that book :D
> 
> recommended song - when by dodie

throughout the period between the first task and the yule ball, jeonghan consistently heard his name being called throughout the hogwarts corridors.

 

the attention felt nice - of course it did, when wouldn’t being noticed feel nice? - but it wasn’t the kind of nice that left you feeling fuzzy and warm inside, as if you took a satisfying sip of a fresh hot chocolate. some of these people who were beckoning him were undisclosed to jeonghan, just taking on board his name and his appearance, rather than digging deep and finding out the passions and the agonies of their supposed crush. the slight idea that he was being seen as a prized object to other boys to obtain was heart-wrenching. why was it he who had to be labelled by his last name?

 

the majority of the proposers happened to be slytherins, with a pinch of the remaining houses alongside that, which was relieving in the libra’s eyes. nevertheless, none of them caught his eye, unfortunately.

 

he would much prefer to stay at home and sleep, to be fairly honest. the buzz of the party never seemed to intrigue him and draw him closer. he was more for calm study sessions, and soothing music at sunrise (if he ever managed to pull himself out of bed beforehand). the yule ball was going to be unpredictable, and jeonghan definitely didn’t want to be caught up inside some rave when he could be researching for the next task in february in the gigantic hogwarts library.

 

however, no student seemed to think about what jeonghan wanted, and still continued to ask him out on the daily.

 

“yoon jeonghan!” two voices shouted down the hallway to the named wizard, who sighed and spun on his heels to identify the eager boys. a spark of yellow and red appeared as their scarves bounced around their necks, and they kept at the same speed as one another as they sprinted to reach the slytherin. 

 

jeonghan knew who they were, it was clear when everyone talked about how they always had heart eyes for yoon jeonghan. although the pair were already a thriving couple, for some sort of reason, they desired the affection of jeonghan as well, and were known throughout the school for attempting to impress the stubborn slytherin. jeonghan obviously thought that they were cute - as a couple and individually - but he knew that he wouldn’t have the time to reciprocate their love because of the expectations he wants to live up to. he hates having to decline people, and he would do anything to say yes to them and hold them in a tight embrace. he remembers reading books about young love in the hogwarts library as a first year, and imagining who fate would pair him up with.

 

jeonghan had a feeling that these two could be those people. 

 

“mr yoon,” the first boy with curly brown locks announced, smirking as he quickly caught his breath. the slytherin cringed at the use of his last name. “please do spare us a moment, we both need to confess something to you.”

 

the hufflepuff boy with the orange quiff smiled as he raised his hand out in front of him, indicating the want for a handshake. “my name is hong jisoo, and this is my boyfriend, choi seungcheol.”

 

jeonghan declined the handshake. he wasn’t in the mood for a confession at that moment in time, especially when there was spells to be revised and potions to be mixed. 

 

“we’ve watched you since you stepped up to the sorting hat, jeonghan, and even before me and jisoo became a thing, we’ve felt something for you.”

 

“you’re amazing at casting spells and everything else to do with wizardry, and you seem so majestic when in battle. in fact, you had me and seungcheol hypnotised during your first task with the chinese fireball, it made our hearts swell up in admiration.”

 

“we’ve fallen deeply in love with you, yoon jeonghan.”

 

jeonghan cringed yet again.

 

“jisoo and i request two things of you,” from behind his back, jisoo pulled out a dainty sunflower as seungcheol continued to talk. “not only will you attend the yule ball with us, but will you be our boyfriend?”

 

jeonghan noticed the small crowd that had locked him inside, awaiting his answer to his admirers’ question. they seemed fairly passionate about their love, with their smiles bright like the sun shining in from outside. but, jeonghan wasn’t too sure if he wanted to get into a relationship - let alone attend the yule ball. his parents always said to him that time is valuable and precious and you should not ever waste it stupidly. he needed every moment he could get to prepare himself for the challenge that was soon to occur for him. 

 

he hated being the bearer of bad news.

 

“look, seungcheol, jisoo. you two seem really nice, and together you already make the perfect couple. it’s just that i don’t think i have enough time for a relationship at the moment, if you understand what i mean. with the triwizard tournament and all, there’s lots of thoughts buzzing about my head and i don’t know what’s going on myself.”

 

“but what about the yule ball?” seungcheol sounded desperate, sadness trickling along his waterline. nevertheless, jeonghan stayed blunt about the situation.

 

“i’m not going to go. no matter how perfect you think you are for me, i’m not going with you. plus, why would i go with a gryffindor and a hufflepuff?” jeonghan scoffed, folding his arms in his chest. 

 

the two boys couldn’t be any more hurt than they were after their encounter, and it burned jeonghan’s heart like it was being roasted on a stake. but jeonghan could only pull a fake smirk as the disappointed couple ambled away, the sunflower in between jisoo’s fingertips drooping to represent their sorrow.

 

jeonghan knew the pain would eat away at him for a long, long time.

 

☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡

 

“okay you can only blame yourself in this situation, jeonghan.” minhyuk filled up his tawny owl’s seed bowl as he sighed, jeonghan having just explained his story to his best friend. the champion was lying face first on his bed, whining into his pillow. “you’re the one who declined their offer.”

 

jeonghan pivoted his head, and showed minhyuk his pout. “i know minnie, but i regret it. i regret it so much.”

 

“i can tell, hannie.” dropping himself onto the bed beside him, minhyuk knitted his fingers through jeonghan’s freshly washed locks, which still held the pungent smell of ripe strawberries in its strands. “why don’t you just go to the yule ball anyways, confess your feelings, say that it was the heat of the moment, and then go and make out in the bathroom stalls?”

 

“i haven’t got the time to do this, minhyuk.”

 

“come on, yes you do!”

 

“you don’t understand!” he shivered under minhyuk’s touch, his bottom lip quivering because of his melancholy. “i have to study for exams, i have to learn new spells for the tournament, i have to finish my winter projects, and i need to prepare myself for the next quidditch match!” 

 

“sweetie, you’re clearly stressed. i’m telling you, this dance will allow you to rest easy for one evening - only one evening! no harm done! - and feel like a normal teenager for once, rather than the prodigy of a wizard family. you’ll have a great time, and tomorrow, your books will still be here waiting for you.”

 

“there’s no point anyway, i’ve lost my chance now that i declined jisoo and seungcheol.”

 

his best friend chuckled, “not if you use someone else as bait to make them jealous…”

 

pushing himself up so that he was sitting beside his fellow slytherin, jeonghan sniffled and raised his brow. “what do you mean?”

 

“it’s not that hard to get your head around. you go to the dance with someone else, get their attention somehow during the night, and then they’ll be obliged to confront you sooner or later about it, creating a clear path to canoodle with them!” minhyuk obviously had to pair his explanation with the appropriate hand movements, which led to jeonghan giggling softly behind his fingers. 

 

to be honest, it did seem like a foolproof plan. jeonghan enjoyed the idea of playing hard to get, mostly because it made him feel a sense of confidence that sometimes would be lowered by his parents’ comments. being able to manipulate the feelings of his admirers gave him some sort of power that truly boosted his self-esteem and made him feel in control. although he is only going by first looks, jisoo and seungcheol did seem stunning, and jeonghan wouldn’t mind having them as his boyfriends if he had another chance. jisoo had extremely sleek and intriguing eyes that jeonghan wouldn’t mind to look into every day of the year, and seungcheol had an alluring set of crimson lips that probably tasted like succulent cherries on a summer’s day. either way, the dance was just for one night, what does he have to lose?

 

“fine, i’ll follow your little scheme, hyuk.” jeonghan eventually gave in, in which led to his best friend throwing his arms frantically in the air in celebration. minhyuk was such a dork, but that’s what made him so lovable. “now what do i do?”

 

“just wait, jeonghannie.” he smiled deviously, “the next person to ask you out will be the one that you accept, no matter who it happens to be.”

 

“oh no, please don’t–“ 

 

the doorbell for their dormitory rang loud and clear, unlocking the cage of butterflies in jeonghan’s stomach and allowing them to rambunctiously fly about in his tiny abdomen. the look in minhyuk’s eyes meant no good, and they forced jeonghan to stand up on his jelly legs in order to make his way towards the entrance of the slytherin common room. 

 

of course he was anxious - this could be his date! not to mention the fact that he could break this person’s heart and leave it to disintegrate on the cobbles of hogwarts like the cold-hearted slytherin he was destined to be. his hands began to vigorously shake underneath his robes. jeonghan could feel the first bead of sweat beginning to drip down his face as he trod across the emerald carpet. the beats of his heart duplicated and halved themselves spontaneously, leaving him exposed to the unknown emotions as he stepped closer and closer to the dormitory door. attempting to breathe normally to help the situation, jeonghan outstretched his sweaty hand to grasp the silver handle. what if it was jisoo and seungcheol behind the door? how would he react? was it just another slytherin needing to get some well-deserved sleep? who could possibly want to see him, when some students even fear him and his family? 

 

he leisurely swung open the mahogany door to reveal an abnormally tall boy, who he at first thought was a rogue giant. albeit, when they began to speak, the bells in jeonghan’s head began to vociferously ring over the other noises of the earth, and it was clear as to who it was.

 

“jeonghan, i know this might be bad timing, but i was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me?”

 

kim mingyu.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the length of these chapters are shorter than the ones in conquest, so you could definitely call this a 'short' story  
> ((i'm as lame as joshua gdi))
> 
> recommended song - very nice (acoustic version) by seventeen's vocal unit

jeonghan had no choice but to say yes to mingyu’s request.

 

it seemed odd at first, seeing as they both were champions in the triwizard tournament, and they both desperately desired the eternal glory held in the trophy at the end of the third task. although, jeonghan still technically made a promise to minhyuk, and he needed to follow that through if he wanted to be with jisoo and seungcheol. but, he still had a nagging voice positioned in the back of his brain, screaming at him to back out and be a good role model to the other students. why should you procrastinate and have fun when there’s work to be done? it left jeonghan conflicted with his emotions. 

 

spinning around in front of the common room mirror, however, made jeonghan lean towards the idea of attending the ball. instead of the typical suit and tie attire, jeonghan donned a lilac shirt that was completely oversized for his body type and size, tucked into a pair of ebony dress pants, and finished off with a set of onyx shoes. the shirt didn’t necessarily hug his figure in any way, shape, or form, but it still happened to be one of the most flattering items of clothing jeonghan happened to possess.

 

minhyuk squealed as he strolled up beside his best friend, swinging an arm around his shoulder swiftly. “you look like a god, jeonghan.”

 

“thanks, minhyuk. you look great too.” jeonghan responded, smiling at the mirrored image of the pair. the other boy decided to go simple with a black suit and olive tie, but somehow he managed to still look extravagant in something so basic.

 

“jisoo and seungcheol are going to be head over heels for you after this, and i just know it.”

 

jeonghan bit his lip, in spite of that, and silently sighed. “i still don’t know about this, hyukkie.”

 

“don’t even think about whatever it is you’re thinking. you deserve a night out, so just block out that devil in your head and enjoy the trip that mingyu takes you on!”

 

rolling his eyes, jeonghan looked over at his friend. he knew that minhyuk only wanted the best for him, and it meant so much to him, but no one knows how this night will go, and jeonghan wasn’t too sure if he wanted to find out. “you sound so cheesy.”

 

“but at least it made you smile!”

 

then again, he had no choice in the matter. he was going to the yule ball, and there was no way for him to use dissendium to get out of this.

 

_ knock knock. _

 

yeah, definitely too late now.

 

“go get ‘em, tiger.” 

 

jeonghan didn’t even get a chance to breathe before minhyuk shoved him in front of the slytherin dormitory door, patting him on the shoulder blade before running off to his bedroom to get ready for shownu. sparing no time, jeonghan clicked open the door and was met with a boy who had the face of a puppy but the body of a model. it was coincidental that they both happened to be dressed in purple, as mingyu decided to dress up in a suit embroidered with indigo roses. 

 

“hey jeonghan,” he cleared his throat, his hands fiddling behind his back. swiftly, mingyu pulled out a flower, bringing his arms around to his front to hand the small gesture to jeonghan. a delicate, amethyst rose sat in between his fingers, leisurely blooming and unveiling its adorn scent. jeonghan marvelled the gift, and grinned widely, how did mingyu know that this was his favourite flower? 

 

“a little birdie told me you like the scent of roses, so i thought we could all match.” a cute smile blessed mingyu’s face as he spoke, jeonghan unconsciously replicating the expression in response. “need to keep that aesthetic!” 

 

it was obvious that mingyu felt awkward and anxious about the meeting. jeonghan knew that something like this would happen, is it because he’s a yoon? that cursed last name that he held a love-hate relationship with liked to ruin everything, didn’t it? although he was technically using mingyu as a vehicle to reach jisoo and seungcheol, he didn’t want the younger boy to feel uncomfortable the entire night (even though he himself would feel more at peace behind a pile of professor snape’s spell books). it would give a bad name if he upset one of his fellow champions, and it might even push his main aim away, seeing as seungcheol happened to also be a gryffindor like jeonghan’s date. 

 

it was going to be complicated, but jeonghan believed in himself and in minhyuk’s master plan. he could get through one night without pain. 

 

exiting the dormitory, mingyu reached for jeonghan’s hand to guide him to the ballroom. he was hesitant to decline, but he concluded that this would be the perfect first trigger for jisoo and seungcheol. therefore, jeonghan firmly grasped mingyu’s hand in his own, feeling mingyu’s silent giggles vibrate through the hallways.

 

“you look gorgeous tonight, by the way.”

 

other people have said that before, and jeonghan thought nothing of them.

 

so why was he uncontrollably blushing when it passed mingyu’s lips?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> recommended song - your song by ellie goulding (originally by elton john)

amazed would be an understatement to describe jeonghan’s first thoughts when he entered the great hall.

 

the entire room was glazed with ice, from the gargoyles that guarded the walls to the ceiling of the hall. alongside the snow that floated to the ground before disappearing into thin air, and the sculptures crafted out of the frozen water that were displayed on the buffet tables, it was clear that winter was present in the campus of hogwarts. the back windows presented a flawless view of the snowy mountaintops of scotland, setting the scene perfectly for the christmas event. a tree stood proudly behind the dancefloor, dressed with perpetual snow and baubles of every colour on the visible light spectrum, and it was distinctly the centre of attention in the room. crowds gathered in their hundreds around the dancefloor, students from every corner of hogwarts gathering together for one evening of celebration and merriment. cool coloured clothing was the key attire for the evening, which was soothing to the wizard and muggle eye, and jeonghan was lucky to have picked out a tranquil colour like purple. it was also fortuitous that mingyu happened to dress similarly to match jeonghan’s colour scheme, seeing as the younger male was known for his chaotic, bizarre and unique tendencies. overall, the impeccable, and there couldn’t have been a better setting for the situation.

 

jeonghan held onto mingyu’s arm tightly, hoping to not get lost and to also attract a few eyes to their closeness. he managed to spot a few familiar faces in the surrounding huddles of wizards: seungkwan, who was probably gossiping with his supposed date, wen junhui from ravenclaw; soonyoung and chan from hufflepuff and gryffindor preparing themselves to dance, soonyoung straightening chan’s jacket as the latter tightens the older boy’s tie; and jihoon from ravenclaw, who was indulging in the chocolate fountain before it was bombarded by other guests. everyone seemed so comfortable around each other, like they had known one another since birth. was his obsession with expectations his downfall in the matter? he felt so out of place, holding onto mingyu like he was his mother taking him into daycare for the first time, surrounded by new faces that seemed so threatening at first. 

 

for the first time in a while, jeonghan felt so small.

 

mingyu seemed to notice this, as he spoke up as they headed towards the dancefloor. “is everything okay, jeonghan? you seem a bit spaced out.”

 

the slytherin saw jisoo and seungcheol stare at him and mingyu in the corner of his eye, and instantly knew that nothing was going to be okay. 

 

why did he sign up to this? things are going to go downhill pretty quickly, and jeonghan didn’t know what to do in these situations because he rarely socialises unless it’s with minhyuk or other trusted slytherin members. this is a bad idea, such a bad idea– 

 

“i suggested this song for you, and the conductor said they would play it so we can dance to it.” holding onto the shorter male’s wrist like his fingers were a bracelet, mingyu dragged jeonghan to the centre of the dancefloor as the keys of the piano resonated their mollifying tune.

 

_ it’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside _

_ i’m not one of those who can easily hide _

 

now jeonghan was truly freaking out. dancing was never his best skill, for he had spent the entirety of his life studying magic with his family. everyone seemed so elegant as they pranced about the floorboards, and jeonghan felt like the elephant in the room needing to be addressed. fortunately, mingyu caught on to his struggles, and placed jeonghan’s soft hands upon his own hips. 

 

“just follow my movements if you don’t know what to do,” mingyu lifted up jeonghan’s chin, and the latter’s breath hitched at the touch. his eyes darted about like a racing car speeding around a course, whilst his body swayed gently in time to the beat like a metronome. the pair jeonghan was aiming to intrigue the attention of began to stare from their position beside the punch bowl, quietly whispering about something jeonghan would not be able to identify due to the distance. 

 

everything around him seemed frantic and claustrophobic, but when he looked up at mingyu, he felt...different. 

 

_ i don’t have much money, but boy if i did _

_ i’d buy a big house where we both could live _

 

“you honestly don’t understand how grateful i am for your attention tonight, hannie.” a sugary giggle once again left mingyu’s lips, “i honestly thought that you would decline, seeing your various other proposals.”

 

“i-i just doubted whether i wanted to go...or not.” did he sound anxious? was it alright to come across that way? “i never really dress up and go to events like this often, it’s a new experience for me.”

 

“i guess we’re in the same boat then,” mingyu reassured, leading their dance as they spun about the room. “because it’s a new experience for me to be dancing with someone as beautiful as you.”

 

_ so excuse me forgetting, but these things i do _

_ see i've forgotten if they're green or they're blue _

 

they were only sixteen bars into the song and mingyu had already managed to make jeonghan blush. he had to get his mind off of the tall boy he was dancing with, so he managed to see his targets gossiping again. seungcheol took a sip of his drink sorrowfully, and jeonghan couldn’t help but mentally smirk. it made him feel dreadful and successful at the same time, it made him feel sick and glorious all at once, it made him angry and joyful simultaneously. he wanted to run over and apologise to them, and explain the situation. but then again, he needed to follow the plan to not fully break anyone’s hearts. so many thoughts were occupying his mind all at once, and it hurt jeonghan physically, emotionally, and psychologically. 

 

_ anyway the thing is what i really mean _

_ your eyes are the sweetest eyes i’ve ever seen _

 

“jeonghannie, you’re getting distracted again.” mingyu genuinely sounded concerned, and it began to bother jeonghan just as much. he didn’t want mingyu to worry about his ordeal, it was too complicated to even begin to explain in this exact situation, and mingyu seemed to be enjoying himself. 

 

jeonghan was probably mingyu’s biggest crush, and here the crush was - soon to break his heart because he’s too much of a wimp to just ask jisoo and seungcheol out himself.

 

“one of the reasons i ended up falling for you, jeonghan, was because of your everlasting confidence in yourself. not necessarily the magical side of things, but your confidence in confronting others when a situation needs to be resolved, your confidence in supporting the people around you when nobody else would, your confidence in yourself when no one else could give it to you.”

 

jeonghan never thought that he could come across as that confident. most of it was an act for the purposes of upkeeping the idea that yoons are self-assured role models who cannot falter. but inside, jeonghan had a monstrous amount of self-doubt eating away at him. nevertheless, the way mingyu had worded his confession showed the side that jeonghan himself never properly realised. 

 

like when he stopped a bully from beating up a first year.

 

like when he helped minhyuk confess to shownu.

 

like when he defeated the dragon in the first task.

 

he thought that was all because he was a yoon.

 

_ if i was a sculptor, but then again, no _

_ or a girl who makes potions in a travelling show _

 

“you also leave me awestruck because of your beauty, hannie.” his heart skipped past a few beats like hopscotch every time mingyu said that nickname, although other people have constantly shouted it before. “how can a wizard’s face be so stunning? it may sound cheesy, but god definitely used up all of his beauty serum on you when he was creating your generation, you catch my eye with your flustered lips and your sun-kissed skin every time we pass through the corridors.”

 

why was it so hot in the ballroom at such a wintry event? jeonghan could feel his cheeks burning up heavily, and his lips curled smoothly into a smile as mingyu droned on with compliments, each one another arrow directly aimed at jeonghan’s lovestruck heart.

 

_ i know it’s not much, but its the best i can do _

_ my gift is my song, and this one’s for you _

 

starting to get into the rhythm of the music, jeonghan couldn’t focus on anything but mingyu. the way his skin glowed under the phosphorescence, the way his eyes glanced lovingly over every part of jeonghan’s body, the way his hands held jeonghan’s waist as if the slytherin was a precious artifact. every time he noticed this, his cardiovascular system would work at unnatural speeds for some odd reason.

 

jeonghan was trying his hardest to find jisoo and seungcheol, in order to notice whether they still seemed covetous over jeonghan’s intimacy with mingyu, but the boy couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from the younger’s. it was as if he was under a hypnosis spell, where every action of his was controlled by something of mingyu’s doing. 

 

he noticed various colours speckled in mingyu’s eyes because of the extensive amount of time he spent staring deeply into them, sprinkles of gold, silver, even a hint of green! the gryffindor held the rainbow in his eyes, and maybe he could be the sunshine to overlook jeonghan’s raincloud.

 

“this is all for you, hannie. this is your song.”

 

_ and you can tell everybody this is your song _

_ it may be simple but now that it’s done _

 

jeonghan allowed his body to submit to the music, feeling the vibrations of each new note tingle his spine as his feet stepped accordingly and simultaneously with mingyu’s own. ballroom dancing was more appeasing than he first assumed, especially when his partner happened to be a boy who gave his full attention to jeonghan, and was invested in making sure he had an amusing time. he appreciated every effort mingyu put into making sure he had a splendid evening, and he was starting to regret this plan that he was forced to follow through with. jisoo and seungcheol were nice people, but mingyu was as well, and none of them deserve to have their hearts shattered. 

 

why did he have to be such a lost cause? why did he have to mess up everything that could be positive in his life? why he have to be such a failure?

from just talking and dancing with mingyu, jeonghan felt different about him than what he first assumed when he passed by him in the corridors. he wasn’t just another gryffindor, he was kim mingyu: a passionate gentleman who feels strongly about puppies and can cook to relieve stress, and who also happened to be a member of the potions club and was known for his clumsiness in his herbology classes in particular. 

 

his emotions are so jumbled up that it’s messed with his head, and now he can only see mingyu. it’s as if his brain is refusing to see jisoo and seungcheol for some unknown reason.

 

he doesn’t know what he feels anymore.

 

_ i hope you don’t mind, i hope you don’t mind _

_ that i put down in words _

 

“the final thing that made me fall for you was the fact that you recognise your mistakes. you have parents that are so full of themselves and pride themselves in victory only, but i can see it in your eyes that you aren’t truly disappointed with failure. you understand that nothing is going to be perfect, and that you as a wizard are not perfect either, and that trait is something truly admirable in a person. even though i adore your bubbly yet shy personality, and i find your awkward tendencies absolutely adorable, i can see that you recognise your situation, and you try your hardest to push the situation away and focus on something specific. something’s bugging you right now, and i feel kind of honoured that you’re using me as your focus point.”

 

jeonghan sighed, “why do you want me so badly? why me of all people?” he tried to break eye contact with mingyu, but the latter held his chin upwards to make eye contact again. “what makes me special compared to other wizards?”

 

“because you’re my focus point.” mingyu announced, his grip on jeonghan’s waist comfortingly tightening. “when i’m neck deep in my own struggles, i just think of you and your extraordinary qualities, and suddenly i’m free of my stresses. you made an impact on me, and i want to make an impact on you.”

 

a kiss found its way to jeonghan’s scorching cheek.

 

_ how wonderful life is _

_n ow you’re in the world_

 

the song ended, and jeonghan wished it could continue. 

 

the moment seemed too ethereal to comprehend. somehow, mingyu had managed to make jeonghan forget about the world around them for a few short minutes, and he felt as if he was the only other boy in the world. so many emotions flushed over him, a headache coursing over him and not willingly wanting to leave either. 

there were many more dances to follow after that one during the night, but none of them were able to compare to that one at all. jeonghan saw a new perspective of mingyu, and he wasn’t sure whether it was for the better or for the worse. a perspective that unveiled the truth about mingyu himself through talking about his crush; a perspective that shined a positive light over the younger boy and his hormonal emotions; a perspective that made jeonghan feel sick to the pit of his stomach due to the horrid part of his plan that had to occur before he could be found by jisoo and seungcheol.

 

he wished he could just stay with mingyu the entire night. the younger boy made jeonghan feel safe, wanted, and loved. his heart pounded every time mingyu moved a muscle, wondering as to what could happen next, and whether that could affect him affirmatively or dissentingly. he was constantly worrying about things when he was with mingyu, yet simultaneously, he was at peace with himself throughout the period of time they were together. 

 

it was perplexing, and jeonghan didn’t even know what all of these events added up to create.

 

guilt?

 

anxiety?

 

joy?

 

love?

 

mingyu was clearly head over heels for jeonghan. it was obvious throughout the yule ball that he wanted jeonghan for his own.

 

nonetheless, jeonghan wasn’t too sure if he knew what love was anymore, nor did he know whether he was being loved for the right reasons.

 

all he knew was that he felt something for mingyu, and he wants to express that something somehow.

 

it’s just down to him to figure out what that something was, and fast.

 

he doesn’t want to lose kim mingyu.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> recommended song - the good side by troye sivan

the night couldn’t have been any more perfect in jeonghan’s opinion.

 

having someone like mingyu to protect him from the mental demons groaning at him for every move he made felt relieving, almost as if someone was lifting the stressful weights off of his shoulders. he felt free throughout that night, his logic thrown out of the window as he danced the night away with the younger gryffindor. he was able to taste exotic foods never before shown in hogwarts before, all from countries unknown to the muggles’ atlases. he was able to forget about his responsibilities of being a yoon for one night, and enjoy the party as if he was just like every other wizard or witch attending. he was able to ignore all distractions to ruin his night, and genuinely have a good time with kim mingyu.

 

it seemed so magical to the slytherin, even more than his daily classes. he was so lost in his perplexing emotions, and the sensation of the music vibrating in his body, and the feeling of mingyu keeping him close and warm. he ended up neglecting the original plan because he was so entranced by the beauty of mingyu that he could barely think straight. jeonghan would even go to say that he was falling for kim mingyu, hypnotised by everything about the beautiful boy. it was astonishing. he was astonishing.

 

mingyu noticed that jeonghan was starting to feel tired - even though jeonghan prided himself in his high stamina - so they escorted themselves out of the ballroom, heading towards the field that was settled in the centre of the campus. it wasn’t actually snowing like it was in the great hall, in fact, the grass was freshly soaked from the afternoon rainfalls, and the moon sold its rays to each drop of water in order for them to reflect its astounding light like stars across the stretch of land. it seemed so peaceful to jeonghan, the field so effortlessly perfect to lie down and read a good book, or to stargaze, or to share a short moment with someone special.

 

if it was the latter, jeonghan wondered if mingyu was truly his special someone. 

 

sitting down on the grass, jeonghan felt himself being pulled closer to a body and then backwards onto his side. mingyu was holding him close to his chest, and as he fell, jeonghan exploded into a fit of giggles, mingyu catching the laughter disease in suit. this night was probably the most that jeonghan found himself smiling, and it made him feel so blissful.

 

“tonight was amazing, jeonghannie.” mingyu spoke up, stroking jeonghan’s fluffy hair as the older slotted his head in the crook of the gryffindor’s neck. “you’ve made it so enjoyable for me.”

 

“i should be saying that to you, gyu.” his eyes drifted up towards mingyu’s dewy face, the honey glaze upon his skin glowing in the moonlight. “i haven’t had this much fun in ages.”

 

“have you not?”

 

“no, my parents are very strict when it comes to work and play.” leaning into mingyu’s palm, jeonghan began to explain. “it’s always been a competition between me and my siblings, trying to gain our parents’ respect in the form of achievements. it’s so much pressure on me, needing to get the best grades and win all the events. if i didn’t get through to the triwizard tournament, i don’t know what i would’ve done with myself. i don’t think i would’ve returned home.” 

 

“being the prodigy isn’t as sparkling as it seems, is it? i always thought you had everything at your feet.” mingyu’s pets became slow and more gentle, which was soothing to the mind as he massaged jeonghan’s scalp. “with all the other contestants, i’ve never felt like a proper champion. is it because i’m clumsy? or maybe because i’m considered a little crazy?”

 

“i don’t think you’re crazy, mingyu.” 

 

the atmosphere changed around them, jeonghan feeling his entire body being painted red by the heat of the moment. he kept his hold onto the taller boy, who pulled him closer to his chest in return. jeonghan gasped, and he felt his heart go into meltdown as he heard mingyu’s tender heart beat against his hand. how was he meant to continue from that sentence? he just set himself up for something that he wasn’t prepared for, even though his heart was screaming for it. what was he meant to say? mingyu clearly wasn’t too sure what to do either, shuffling underneath jeonghan’s touch to try and feel slightly more comfortable. the slytherin felt something towards the younger boy, and he wanted to get to know mingyu more and possibly fall for him a little bit more until he couldn’t fall no longer. it was just a matter of time.

 

“anyways, i just feel easy to trick. a better word would be gullible. people like to tell me one thing, and then i believe them. i put my full trust into something, and then people let me down with the drop of a hat. it hurts more than you can imagine, jeonghannie, and i haven’t found one person in this world that i can fully trust.”

 

jeonghan hoped that mingyu didn’t feel him gulp back his guilt. 

 

he really wanted to hold back this secret. jisoo and seungcheol were starting to seem less like the perfect match, now that he’s been introduced to kim mingyu. things seem a lot brighter than before, when he was trapped in the helpless darkness. in fact, he wanted to abandon the plan all together and stay with mingyu, holding him until the sun rises again at dawn. but he doesn’t know what minhyuk would think, considering that mingyu is another champion who probably wants this just as much as jeonghan does. he kind of wants to kick himself because of it now. 

 

“jeonghan? is everything alright?”

 

_ ‘no mingyu, nothing is alright.’  _ jeonghan thought to himself, having a slight breakdown inside whilst attempting to keep his cool on the outside. ‘ _ i’ve just messed up my entire social life but, you know, i’m the goddamn prodigy, so everything will turn out all sparkly in the end, won’t it?’ _

 

on the lighter side, it can’t get worse than this feeling, can it?

 

“yoon jeonghan!” 

 

well, it can. 

 

behind them, two boys in suspenders ran up to where they were laying, and jeonghan almost had a heart attack when he found out who the voices belonged to. one with strikingly apricot hair and the other with silky hickory curls, both around the same height as the slytherin, with confusion plastered all across their faces.

 

jisoo and seungcheol just had to find them here, if course they did.

 

“so much for ‘i’m not gonna go’,” jisoo complained, folding his arms and huffing as they awaited mingyu and jeonghan to stand up and confront them. 

 

“look, guys, i’m sorry—“

 

“you know, you could’ve confessed to us that you’re not interested in us, jeonghan.” seungcheol seemed more disappointed than angry, but then again, seungcheol was known for being the calmer one in their relationship, whilst jisoo had a infamous nickname of ‘the firepuff’. “it would’ve done worse damage than lying to us.”

 

“i was interested in you, but—“

 

“then why did you say no then, and yes to...that?” jisoo had smoke pummelling out of his ears as he spoke, his tone lowering to a pitch that no one had ever heard from him before. “there’s something going on here and it’s starting to become irritating.”

 

“i...well, i…”

 

“jeonghan, please tell us what’s going on. i don’t even know about this.” mingyu sounded worried, and he didn’t want mingyu getting involved. he didn’t deserve this. nobody deserved this.

 

he was such a mess of a person.

 

a waste of magical energy.

 

“...i was trying to make you guys jealous so i could go out with you guys..so i used mingyu as bait.” 

 

jeonghan was ready to crawl up into a whole in the forbidden forest and die there. 

 

no one spoke, and the slytherin felt everything in him deflate in self-hatred. mingyu let go of jeonghan’s waist, and the older boy could feel teardrops trickling down his shoulder. of course this would happen to him, just when he thought that everything was going alright for him, something had to go wrong. it was almost like god was siding with his family, and fate chose to ruin his life in order to show him that staying in his dormitory and studying is more beneficial and makes you happier than going outside and having a social life. 

 

“shouldn’t have expected anything better from a pureblood snake.” the hufflepuff snarled, “sorry about that, mingyu.” he tutted vociferously at jeonghan, before gripping seungcheol’s wrist and yanking him away from the pair. 

 

jeonghan couldn’t bare to look at the state mingyu would be in right now, after having his heart smashed into smithereens and scattered amonagt the blades of grass.

 

he had one chance to have some fun. one chance to prove his parents wrong, that he can have some fun and still work hard and be happy. one chance to show people that he isn’t just a yoon. 

 

and he lost the chance.

 

“mingyu, i’m sorry…”

 

“i’m just…” mingyu choked on a sob, and it struck jeonghan deep within his chest. “...bait?”

 

jeonghan failed to respond, and to look at the younger boy. 

 

so the teary eyed gryffindor sauntered towards the entrance to the building again, leaving jeonghan to wallow in pity and anger. 

 

“well bloody done, yoon jeonghan.” he kicked the grass, gritting his teeth as tears spilled from his tear ducts. stomping across the field in complete self-vexation. “well done!” 

 

maybe all that he was destined to do was to be a yoon.

 

just another wizarding wand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof poor jeonghannie and gyuuu ;-;
> 
> to continue in chronological order, please read chapter two of conquest, where jeonghan is faced with his next challenge in the tri-wizard tournament owo
> 
> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆thank you for reading!☆


End file.
